New Delhi: Minister of State for Home Affairs Ajay Kumar Mishra laid down the statistics for the total number of children trafficked during the last three years in the Rajya Sabha session on Tuesday.
"A total of 7,962 child victims (below 18 years) were trafficked during the last three years with 2,863 reported in 2019, 2,222 in 2020, and 2,877 in 2021 as per the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) report 2021," the minister said in the upper House of the Parliament. The Union Minister was responding to a question from BJP MP Rattan Lal Kataria asking for the details of data on trafficking during the last three years.
To another question on whether the Delhi Police busted a child trafficking racket in July 2022, the MoS said, "As per the available information, the Delhi Police had busted a gang of human traffickers in July 2022, which was involved in selling newborn babies. An FIR No. 128/22 under section 370(4)/363/34 Indian Penal Code (IPC) read with section 81 of the Juvenile Justice Act has been registered by the Crime Branch."
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Asked to comment on whether the government is contemplating formulating more stringent laws to give severe punishment to culprits involved in child kidnapping and trafficking, the MoS in his reply noted that "Amendment in Criminal Law, including laws for countering child kidnapping and human trafficking, is an ongoing process on the basis of functional needs and requirements."
